Hitler was shrewd, not so hypnotic, new German biography says

BERLIN, Nov 7 (Reuters) - A new biography of Hitler by a
prominent German historian is likely to stir controversy with
its argument that the Nazi leader's political acumen has been
underestimated and that the belief in his hypnotic grip over
Germans is inflated.

Peter Longerich's "Hitler", to be published on Monday, is a
1,295-page tome that includes material from the diaries of Nazi
propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels and early Hitler speeches.

"Overall, you have a picture of a dictator who controlled
much more, who was more closely involved in individual decisions
than previously thought. I wanted to put Hitler as a person back
in the centre," Longerich told Reuters in an interview.

Recent works on the Third Reich have placed more emphasis on
the social and political climate that led to the rise of Nazism
after defeat in World War One and crippling reparation demands.

Soon after World War Two, Germans clung to the belief that
they had been held hostage by a criminal gang led by the
charismatic Hitler, bent on conquering Europe and exterminating
Jews.

Longerich, a professor at London University, argues that
while all Hitler's policies and the results were catastrophic,
he acted smartly in specific situations.

"The question why he managed to get so far needs to be
addressed: Obviously he had the ability to exploit individual
situations in his own interest and for his own aims," he said.

Even his racial policies, which culminated in the murder of
at least 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, were in large part
down to political opportunism, says Longerich, who does not
think Hitler was radically anti-Semitic at an early age.

"Around 1919-1920 he realised he could be successful in
politics by embracing and inciting anti-Semitism," he said,
adding it became a central element only in the 1930s.

Hitler's skill in taking power is even more striking given
that the Austrian-born art student was a 'nobody' with no
ideology until he was about 30. Only then, refusing to accept
Germany's defeat, was he drawn to the early Nazi party.

Longerich also seeks to debunk the theory that Hitler had an
irresistible charisma that captivated Germans, arguing it was
largely artificially constructed by the Nazi propaganda machine
which pumped out pictures of entranced fans at rallies.

The author does not exonerate Germans, saying large parts of
the population supported Hitler while others were opportunistic
in following him, but he argues that there were social tensions
and discontent, for example within the church.

"It would be illogical to think that a deeply divided
country like Germany suddenly united behind one person and
shared one political view," Longerich said.

Seventy years after his death, Germans' attitudes towards
Hitler are still evolving, Longerich said.

"I don't think there is any enthusiasm for Hitler but we are
seeing taboos being broken," he said, citing recent films about
the dictator and a debate about the publication of "Mein Kampf".

As fears about right-wing radicalism in Germany grow due to
the refugee crisis, he warns that with a "rougher" political
atmosphere, "the potential of a single political figure is a
factor which should not be underestimated".
(Reporting by Madeline Chambers; Editing by Michael
Roddy/Jeremy Gaunt)